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Have Some Lip Roarin’ Fun With New Softlips Cube Spring 2015 2-Pack

Chapped, cracked, scaly, and flaky lips are never sexy — case in point: one of my husband’s co-workers watched every episode of The Killing on Netflix and his only takeaway was, “Why did Linden’s lips look so jacked-up all the time? Hasn’t she heard of lip balm?” Well, clearly, Linden could’ve benefited from being gifted a Softlips Cube 5-in-1 Lip Care balm, a dome-shaped, hydrating and softening lip conditioner packaged inside a sleek, compact, glass-like cube. Now, the brand has introduced a new limited edition 2-pack containing the beloved Pomegranate Blueberry Softlips Cube flavor, along with the brand new Peach Mango variety.

The Softlips Cube Spring 2015 2-Pack ($6.49 at select drugstores and SoftlipsStore.com) is adorably packaged so that the two cube-shaped balms are inserted into adjacent, cut-out window slots along the center of a round pink cardboard disc, then covered with a protective plastic mold.The disc itself captures the optimism of spring with its ombré pink color and tonal polka dot print, along with the cheeky image on the upper left-hand side of a woman wearing oversize shades with rounded white acrylic frames and gradient purple lenses, a headband with a gargantuan white bow with black polka dots, and her lips perfectly puckered to create an Instagram-worthy kissy face.

As for the lip balms, they’re formulated with fatty acid-rich shea butter to hydrate, soften, and replenish lips; sunflower seed oil, which protects lips from free radicals; squalane, a natural antioxidant found in olives and/or shark liver; menthol, which cools dry and irritated skin; and vitamins A, C, and E. Together, these ingredients nourish, smooth, and protect lips — particularly since they have an SPF 15 factor thanks to a mixture of octinoxate and oxybenzone.

In terms of the flavors, the Softlips Cube in Pomegranate Blueberry (which has a distinctive translucent pink base) remains my favorite, with its fruity but slightly tart smell and taste. While I was beyond excited to try the Peach Mango Softlips Cube (which has a translucent marigold yellow base), it didn’t quite live up to my expectations. Granted: those happen to be two of my favorite fruits, so I’m probably particularly persnickety about them being replicated accurately. In this case, the peach flavor dominates over the mango, but it’s not a picked-from-the-orchard, sweet, mouth-watering taste — instead, it’s reminiscent of the artificially sweet flavor of Diet Snapple Peach Tea flavor, which I find almost nauseatingly saccharine. Then again, my mother drinks this very iced tea by the gallon, so it’s clearly an arbitrary question based on one’s own savory preferences.

Like the eos Smooth Spheres, these Softlips Cubes allow users to glide the moisturizer over their lips without relying on their potentially filthy hands, making them a way more hygienic option — there’s no having to dig a finger into a round jars or pots to scoop out some lip balm, no squeezing the substance out of a tube and onto an index finger, and no patting the ointment or balm onto lips. All you have to do is twist off the cube-shaped cap, grasp the thin square base of the cube, then run the domed balm over the pout.

Though I generally prefer the eos Smooth Spheres (in part because my lips are typically rather dry and they tend to have heavier emollients and less potentially drying additives), I do find that the Softlips Cube lip balms have a much more convenient packaging. Whereas the egg-shaped Smooth Spheres can roll right off any flat surface (like my nightstand and my office desk!), prompting you to go on an Easter-worthy egg hunt, the Softlips Cubes’ flat bottom surfaces enable them to stay upright and in place whenever they’re propped atop a table, desk, or shelf. They’re also much more compact, making them a better choice when you’re carrying a teeny clutch.

And if your lips aren’t chronically dry, you might just prefer the lighter formula of the Softlips Cubes — my husband certainly does! Add to that the built-in SPF factor, and you might just discover that these are a summer makeup bag “must.”